Apparatus for fire-polishing and reheating glass.



M. A. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR FIRE POLISHING AND REHEATING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILEDIULY10.1913- Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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M. A. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR FIRE POLISHING AND REHEATING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY l0. l9l3- Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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M. A. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR FIRE POLISHING AND REHEATING GLASS. APPLICATION FILED JULY I0 I913.

1,205,675. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

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MAURICE A. SMITH, OF JEANNETTE, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FIRE-POLISHING AND .REHEATING GLASS.

Application filed July 10, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURIon A. SMITH, of Jeannette, in the county of l Vestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Fire-Polishing and Reheating Glass, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure lris a front elevation of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a similar elevation the shield plate and part of the circular table being broken away; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 1 is a plan View of the spindle lifting cam segment; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line V-V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the shaft clutch; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the table lifting cam.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

Fire polishing and reheating glassware consists in subjecting an article or unfinished blank of glass, while it retains a por- A tion of the heat incident to its manufacture,

to the action of a flame or heat of such intensity as to either melt the surface of the glass, which is termed fire polishing, or to soften the body of the glass, which is termed reheating. Both fire polishing and reheating glass are old and well known in the art,

" end it consists in devices for carrying the glass to or through a burner or furnace and retaining it beneath the burner or within a zone of heat, and also in devices for automatically lifting the glass in the holder to permit its removal by the workman.

In the drawing, 2 represents the entrance to the heating passage way 5 of the furnace 3, which entrance or opening is similar to the ordinary glory hole in that it permits the introduction of the glass to the fire pol- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 778,368.

ishing or reheating heat. The furnace 3, as shown in the drawing, is preferably formed of brick work, having a semi-circular supporting wall or frame 4, and it is provided with a horizontal passage way 5,

constructed in the form of a semicircular arc, having a slotted or open bottom, and at the far end of which is an exit opening 6 similar to the entrance opening 2. Extending into the passage way 5 are one or more r which rests on a sleeve 17 which is slidably keyed to the shaft 9. Keyed to the shaft 9, above the table 8, is a clutch disk 12 the lower face of which is roughened. A similar clutch disk 13 having its upper face roughened is secured to the table 8 around the shaft 9. Below the lower end of the shaft 9 is a step plate 14 in which the shaft is stepped and in the face of which a circular cam way 15 is formed, the cam portion of which extends around one half of the circular way. Surrounding the lower end of the shaft 9 and secured thereto by a feather and spline 16, is a cam sleeve 17 the lower face of which is provided with a cam 18 which seats in the cam way 15 and of which it is the counterpart. The upper part of the sleeve 17 is in the form of a collar 19 which serves to support the table 8. Extending from the periphery of the table 8 are teeth 20 adapted to engage with the stop 21 within the passage 5 a'short distance beyond the gas and air burner 7. Near the periphery of the table 8 are a series of holders or formers 24 which may be cup shaped to conform with the shape of the article to be fire polished or reheated. The bottoms of these holders are loosely set in the bodies of the holders and have spindles or rods 25 so extending therefrom through holes in the table 8 that the ends of the rods shall project below the bottom of the table sufficiently to engage with the raised portion of the semi-circular inclined way 26 which extends outside of the furaxis and at each rotation the table 8 is lifted by the cams 18 and 15 which releases the tooth 20 from the stop 21 and brings the clutch disk 13 gradually into contact with the disk 12 which causes the table 8 to rotate with the shaft 9 and carries the holder containing the glass blank into the passageway 5 and under theburner 7. At this point the cam 15 passes off the cam 18, the table drops to separate the disks 13 and 12, one of the teeth 20 comes in front of and against the stop 21, and, as the table has ceased to rotate, the blank in the holder is held beneath the burner until the shaft has made another rotation, when the operation is antomatically repeated to advance the first blank, which has now been fire polished, and bring a second blank beneath the burner. As the blanks are thus advanced step by step through the passage way 5, they gradually cool, and, as the holders pass out at the exit 6, the end of the rod 25 rides up on the incline 26 which lifts the bottom of the holder 2-1 and the polished article thereon suiiiciently to enable the workman to remove it from the holder and carry it to the leer.

Although I have shown and described specific devices by means of which the steps of this operation are efiected I do not desire to limit my invention thereto.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In apparatus for firepolishing or reheating glass, the combination of a reheating furnace, a table rotatable on a vertical axis adapted to carry a glass article within the zone of heat and provided with a clutchmember, a continuously rotatable driving device in axial alinement with said rotatable table and provided with a clutch-member, and means for automatically and intermittently raising and lowering said table, and thus connecting and disconnecting said table and said driving device.

2. In apparatus for fire-polishing or reheating glass, the combination of a reheating furnace, a table rotatable on a vertical Copies of this patent may be obtained for axis adapted to carry a glass article within the zone of heat and provided with a clutchmember, a stop in the path of said table, a continuously rotatable driving device in axial alinement with said table and provided with a clutch-member, and means for automatically and intermittently raising and lowering said table whereby said table and said driving device are connected and disconnected and said table disengaged from said stop.

3. In apparatus for fire-polishing or reheating glass, the combination of a reheatlng furnace, a table rotatable on a vertical axis adapted to carry a glass article within the Zone of heat and provided with a clutchmember, a series of projections on said table, a stop adapted to be engaged by one of said projections, a continuously rotatable driving mechanism provided with a clutch-member, and means for automatically and intermittently raising and lowering said table whereby said table and said driving device are connected and disconnected, and said projections are brought into and out of engagement with said stop.

a. In apparatus for fire-polishing and reheating glass, the combination of a reheating furnace, a vertical shaft, a clutch-member carried by said shaft, a table loosely mounted on said shaft, a clutch-member connected to said table located below the clutch member on said shaft, a cam-sleeve on said shaft and forming a support for said table,

a bearing for the lower end of said shaft.

having a cam-face engaged by the cam-face on the lower end of said cam sleeve, whereby said table is raised and lowered by theaction of said cam.

In apparatus for fire-polishing or reheating glass, the combination of a reheating furnace, a vertical shaft, a clutch memfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

